Ichikawa Danjuro VII in Kamigata ukiyo-e
August 29 (Tue), 2023 ‐November 26 (Sun), 2023

This museum exhibits ukiyo-e woodblock prints published in Osaka in the Edo period. Many of the ukiyo-e prints made in Osaka were portraits of kabuki actors performing on stage mainly around Dotombori area.

Kabuki plays in Dotombori area were performed by Kamigata-based kabuki actors but it was also common that popular Edo actors came and performed in theatres in Dotombori area. Among them was Ichikawa Danjuro VII, one of the best Edo kabuki actors and successor of a big family name. He was depicted by Osaka ukiyo-e artists. ‘Sukeroku’, one of Danjuro VII’s 18 best kabuki plays, was played in theaters in Dotombori area, and his performance was depicted in ukiyo-e, describing how spectacular his performances were.

In this feature exhibition, we focus on kabuki actor, Ichikawa Danjuro VII. He succeeded to the name Ichikawa Ebizo V after his eldest son succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro. His apprentice Ichikawa Ebijuro I was popular around Osaka. Please enjoy ukiyo-e prints and understand the relationship between Ichikawa Danjuro and Osaka.

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Ichikawa Danjuro VII and his performance in Osaka
Ichikawa Danjuro is a big stage name of kabuki actors, being succeeded from generation to generation. Ichikawa is a name of a leading family of Edo kabuki. The name was most recently succeeded to by Ichikawa Danjuro XIII in 2022. Although Ichikawa Danjuro VII was not very tall, his eyes were sharp, excellently played various roles let alone his specialty ‘rough style performance’. His performance was so excellent that in his later years he was evaluated as the highest-ranking kabuki actor.
The great actor played kabuki not only in Edo but also in various places in Japan. After he was expelled from Edo he lived in Osaka and became popular in theatres in Dotombori area. At the time of the Great Fire of Bunsei in 1829 (Bunsei 12) when three Edo kabuki theatres were burnt down, Danjuro had been performing at Kawarazaki-za theatre in Edo. After he visited Naritasan, Zenkoji and Koyasan temples, he appeared as Ichikawa Hakuen II at Nakano-shibai theatre in Osaka in May. And in the following year he performed in the famous kabuki play ‘Sukeroku’ at the Kadono-shibai theatre, and then also performed in theatres in Kyoto and Ise and then went back to Edo. In May 1834 (Tempo 5), after Ichimura-za theatre was burnt down when he was acting there, he performed at the Kadono-shibai theatre in Osaka and left for Chugoku and Kyushu regions.
After he was expelled from Edo at the time of Tempo reforms, he lived in Osaka from 1843 (Tempo 14) and performed in theatres in Osaka and Kyoto. In 1850 (Kaei 3) he was pardoned and went back to Edo. Around this time Osaka ukiyo-e artist Hirosada depicted Ichikawa Ebizo V with Ebizo’s big eyes sharpened.
In 1853 (Kaei 6) he again left for tour around Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya starting at the Kadono-shibai theatre in Osaka. On July 28th 1854, when the traditional kabuki event ‘boarding a boat’ was held, he went back to Dotombori Osaka. The ukiyo-e print depicting this event is displayed on the third floor.

Ichikawa Danjuro VII
Born in 1791 (Kansei 3), to the second daughter of the Ichikawa Danjuro V and appeared on stage for the first time in August 1794 (Kansei 6) as Ichikawa Shinnosuke. In May 1799 (Kansei 11), Ichikawa Danjuro VI, son of Ichikawa Danjuro V, died at the age of 22. In November the following year, he succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro VII at the age of 10. His grandfather, Ichikawa Danjuro V died in 1806 (Bunka 3). Ichikawa Danjuro VII playing important roles in kabuki plays such as ‘Sukeroku’, became a leader of kabuki world, gained popularity and skills, being evaluated as ‘upper-upper-excellent’ kabuki actor in Hyobanki (a compilation of ranking of kabuki actors).
Exhibited here is a woodblock print of Ichikawa Danjuro VII in his 20s in Bunka era, drawn by Utagawa Toyokuni. This is his prime, young and shapely, confident and thriving; playing wide range of roles such as villain, female, while his specialty was a rough style performance.
In 1832 (Tempo 3), his eldest son succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro VIII and he retook the name Ichikawa Ebizo V. Being a good walker, he went to play kabuki not only to Osaka but Sakai, Kyto, Nagoya, Ise but also to Nishinomiyajima, Hakata and Nagasaki. Woodblock prints depicting his performance in Osaka are exhibited on the second floor.
He was plagued by tragedies; Ichikawa Danjuro VIII committed suicide in 1854 (Kaei 7) and in the following year Ichikawa Saruzo I, Danjuro VII’s fourth son died from illness. But his fifth son succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro IX. In January 1859 (Ansei 6) Ichikawa Danjuro VII became ill on stage in Nakamura-za theatre and died on March 23rd of that year at the age of 69. Ichikawa Danjuro VII is known to have selected the 18 best kabuki plays of all time and is regarded as a restorer of Ichikawa family.

Ichikawa Danjuro VIII
Born in 1823 (Bunsei 6) as the first son of Ichikawa Danjuro VII. In 1832 (Tempo 3), he succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro VIII when he was only 10. After his father was expelled from Edo, he was the leader of the Edo kabuki world with his good-looking face and acting skills, while he kept hoping his father would be pardoned.
On July 28th 1854 (Kaei 7), kabuki event ‘boarding a boat’ was held, on the boat were the name of Ichikawa Danjuro VIII along with his father Ichikawa Ebizo V and a brother Ichikawa Saruzo I. Only several days after the event, on Auguts 6th, Ichikawa Danjuro VIII committed suicide at the inn in Osaka. The reason was unknown.

Ichikawa Saruzo I
Born in Osaka as the fourth son of Ichikawa Danjuro VII. After gaining experience at children theatre, he went to Edo. When his big brother Ichikawa Danjuro VIII committed suicide, he acted as a substitute. He died from illness in September the following year at the age of 21.

Ichikawa Danjuro IX
Born as the fifth son of Ichikawa Danjuro VII and was adopted by Kawarazaki Gonnosuke VI soon after he was born. In 1852 (Kaei 5), he took on the name Kawarazaki Gonjuro. In 1874 (Meiji 7), he went back to Ichikawa family and succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro IX.

Ichikawa Danjuro V
Grandfather of Ichikawa Danjuro VII. Son of Ichikawa Danjuro IV. In 1754 (Horeki 4), as his father Matsumoto Koshiro II succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro IV, he took on the name Matsumoto Koshiro III. And in 1770 (Meiwa 7), he succeeded to the name Ichikawa Danjuro V.